Liminal Niagara (2025)
Night photography of the hauntingly empty city of Niagara Falls during the autumnal off-season.
Night photography of the hauntingly empty city of Niagara Falls during the autumnal off-season.

This Traveltalk series short visit to the province of Ontario begins in Ottawa, Canada's capital, then proceeds to Algonquin Park, Toronto, and Niagara Falls.

As Niagara Falls transformed from honeymoon capital of the world to Las Vegas North, corporate hotel chains and casinos cast a long shadow over the independent motels that once populated the town. The Continental survived the transition by converting its rooms into affordable housing units, becoming a home for those with few places to go. The night manager, Brian, once a freelance photographer who survived the horrors of war in Vietnam, shares his duties with his colleague Linda. Together they manage both the Continental and the individual struggles of its tenants, providing more than a roof over the heads of those who live under their supervision. Bringing a fresh focus to one of the most photographed places on Earth, director and cinematographer Jesse McCracken develops an intimate and caring portrait of the residents of this modest micro-community set against the backdrop of neon-lit tourist attractions.

Initially embarking on an unplanned personal filmmaking project, Ilias Boukhemoucha finds himself drawn to the overlooked corners and marginalized communities within Canadian cities.
This Traveltalk entry visits places along the Niagara River and gives the viewer spectacular images of Niagara Falls.

A history of mankind's interactions with Niagara Falls, from initial awe, to harnessing of the Falls' power, which leads to the destruction of nearby areas like Love Canal.

Some spaces draw attention, as if they evoke something that’s about to happen. These are the places where we escape when we dream or die. The only thing that exists is time; we wait for the moment to arrive.

The history of Niagara Falls and the people that made it famous.

When pro kayaker Rafa Ortiz makes the decision to paddle over Niagara Falls, he sets in motion an incredible series of events that eventually takes on a life of its own. To prepare for this mission, Rafa enlists the help of world-renowned paddler Rush Sturges and a tight team of their friends. Together they go on a remarkable three-year journey from the rainforest rivers of Mexico to the towering waterfalls of the U.S. Northwest. Their journey concludes in Canada where the team plays a cat-and-mouse game with local police before Rafa's mission comes to a heart-stopping climax at the iconic Falls.
Embark to Niagara Falls and witness its stunning beauty and a wide variety of wildlife—mammals, birds, and reptiles. Through the eyes of passionate scientists, uncover a complex world forged by stone and powered by water.
A filmographic essay featuring lines from "Bonedog" by Eva H.D. A pathos on memory, travelogue consciousness and the divets remaindered from environmental displacement.

In this meta found-footage / documentary escapade, Gavin and Alex head to Tennessee to document the premiere of their previous film, and to follow a tip that will lead them to the most liminal spaces in Chattanooga...

Liminal Spaces are the subject of a modern internet aesthetic portraying empty or abandoned places that appear eerie, forlorn, and often surreal. Directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky and David Lynch had mastered the art of liminal spaces, long before it became an internet aesthetic. This documentary aims to explore and demystify the strangely familiar world of liminal spaces.

A short documentary on liminal spaces and the familiar feelings they give you.
A short study on liminality, reversing the common experience of such a space by forcing engagement and contemplation over its subtle details and hidden memories.

Dead by Monday is a darkly comic tale of love and death... but not necessarily in that order. Julie is a sweet, vulnerable young woman who lacks confidence and is obsessed with the memory of her dead husband whom she idealizes. Alex is an angry writer. Talented but unable to repeat the success of his first novel, he has nothing left to say. Or live for. He just wants to die. Fate introduces these two lost souls at the edge of a cliff. While picking flowers Julie accidentally falls off. Alex, who has come to blow his brains out, is interrupted by her cry for help, just before he pulls the trigger.
An embittered old man is obsessed with conquering the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. He endangers his sons' lives by forcing them to challenge the falls by going over them in a barrel.
In a liminal world where logic fades, a narcissistic narrator manipulates a lonely young woman trapped in a disturbing cycle of hatred and confusion. A poignant exploration of the inner struggle between power and powerlessness in a senseless world.

Following the death of her mother, a young woman returns home to Niagara Falls and becomes entangled in the memory of a kidnapping she claims to have witnessed as a child.